


Such a Sweet Surprise

by sophh



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Muggle, Arthur Weasley is a good friend, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, POV Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:35:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29154411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophh/pseuds/sophh
Summary: Molly's bakery is swamped with orders for Valentine's Day. When long-time friend Arthur Weasley offers to pitch in and help, she makes an important realization.
Relationships: Arthur Weasley/Molly Weasley
Comments: 14
Kudos: 9
Collections: With Love Weasley





	Such a Sweet Surprise

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [With_Love_Weasley](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/With_Love_Weasley) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> Bakery!AU. Character A owns a bakery and is swamped with Valentine's Day orders. Character B pitches in to help, and A realizes they have feelings for B.

Wiping her hands on her apron, Molly Prewett looked around at all of the notes in the prep area. With Valentine's Day fast approaching, her bakery had experienced an influx of orders for cookies, cakes, and pies that would make the holiday even sweeter. 

"Good heavens," she muttered, her brain doing a series of calculations to determine which orders needed fulfilling first. She pulled a notepad and pen from her apron pocket and began to scribble down her thoughts. The Dearborn cake should be done relatively early. The McKinnon cookies could be made last-minute, along with the ones for the Gudgeons. The Malfoy order was massive and would need to be prepared in batches, starting with the cupcakes and ending with the chocolate-covered strawberries. 

After another minute, she felt that she had a sensible, organized plan that would ensure maximum efficiency and minimum—she hoped—stress. As she tucked the notepad and pen back into her apron, she heard the bell above the front door chime. 

Molly frowned. She wasn't expecting anyone to come by this early. The bakery wasn't even open yet, technically. The only reason she was there before the sun rose was to get started on the day's baking. 

Heading out into the front of the bakery, her face broke into a smile at the lanky, red-haired man standing there. 

"Arthur! What a lovely surprise!" She pulled him in for a brief hug. 

Arthur Weasley was a dear friend of Molly's. They had known each other since their school days and kept in touch after graduation.

Arthur's cheeks were pink when he stepped back, and he smiled at her in his usual shy way. "Good morning, Molly."

"So what brings you here before opening hours?" Molly asked, whipping out her notepad once more. "I don't usually take orders when the bakery's closed, but since it's you, I'd happily make an exception—"

Arthur shook his head. "I'm not here to place an order. I'm, er…" He scratched the back of his neck before taking a deep breath and meeting Molly's curious gaze. "I thought I might offer my assistance." 

"'Offer your assistance?' Whatever do you mean?" Molly wondered aloud. She slipped the notepad into her pocket while she awaited his reply. It was difficult, sometimes, having a conversation with the man. He was always so careful with his words. 

"Well, I know how busy you are," her friend said at last. "What with Valentine's Day coming up and all."

Molly felt her heart flutter at this explanation. What a thoughtful creature Arthur was, offering to help because he knew how busy she was! It was a wonder no woman had snatched him up yet. He was always thinking of others, and was always willing to lend a hand whenever he could. That was only two of many things that made him such a wonderful friend. 

"I'd love the help," Molly said happily. "Thank you, Arthur." 

Arthur merely nodded, modest as ever. "So, what can I do?" 

***

Molly and Arthur soon fell into a comfortable rhythm. Though Arthur was initially reluctant to help with any of the actual baking process—"I'll just ruin everything," he kept saying—Molly was finally able to convince him to frost some cupcakes. He had a patient, steady hand that made him a natural, and Molly was glad to foist that particular task onto someone else as it had never been one of her favorites, anyway. 

She bustled about the kitchen, peering into ovens and testing cakes with toothpicks. All the while, she chattered away about everything from the weather to her customers' shenanigans. When the various goods were finished baking, she would pull them out and let them cool before handing them off to her friend to decorate. Each time she passed him something, she would smile at him and thank him for his help, and each time, his face would turn the same shade of scarlet as his hair. 

"It's nothing," he would mutter, returning his gaze to whatever he was frosting at that moment.

But it wasn't nothing to Molly. She was so grateful that Arthur had offered to pitch in. It was making order fulfillment go much more quickly, and Molly was confident that she would meet all of her customers' demands in time for the big day. 

***

At 8 o'clock, the bakery was officially open for business, and Arthur moved to the front to take orders and man the register. Molly missed talking to him, but she would occasionally find herself peeking out at the counter to watch him interact with the customers. Arthur was even shyer with the patrons than he was with her., But there was something endearing about how hard he worked to make conversation and write down every necessary detail. Once, he seemed to sense her presence in the doorway and glanced over; Molly had to pretend that she was coming out to give him a break. 

"You've earned one!" she trilled, directing him to pick a pastry and enjoy a few minutes of peace and quiet. The bakery wasn't particularly busy at that moment, so he gave her an odd look, but did as he was told. 

Minutes later, a woman who had been sitting quietly in the corner enjoying a coffee and scone walked up to the counter and smiled at Molly. 

"I'm so glad you told that lovely man to take a break," she began, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. 

Molly's forehead creased in confusion. "Why is that?"

"I was hoping I might purchase a little something for him, to thank him for being so kind and understanding while I took forever to decide on my order," the woman explained. 

"Very well," Molly said. "What would you like to get him?"

"Do you know him well?" the woman asked, lowering her voice. "And would you happen to know if he's single?"

Molly's eyes widened. "He's a good friend of mine, but I don't see how it's any of  _ your _ business if he's single." Her reply came out more defensive than she had anticipated, and she quickly backtracked. "I mean, what does that have to do with anything, really?"

"Well, I thought I might get him one of those heart cupcakes, but if he's seeing someone, it would hardly be appropriate." 

"Oh." Molly felt her heart clench slightly. "Er, yes, he's seeing someone." That was a blatant lie, but the woman didn't need to know that, and Arthur would never need to, either. 

The woman looked crestfallen. "I suppose one of those simple ones would do, then." She pointed to a batch of black bottom cupcakes in the glass display case. 

Molly nodded and rang up the cupcake, trying not to think about the lie she had just told. In truth, she wasn't sure why she had done it. It had just...slipped out. Maybe it was because she found the woman—thin and blonde and altogether very pretty—annoying. Yes, that was it. She felt annoyed by the woman, and she was trying to protect Arthur from her. 

A small voice inside her head laughed at this line of reasoning. Why did she feel so compelled to protect Arthur in the first place? Wasn't Arthur entitled to some happiness? Her feelings should be irrelevant to the situation. 

And yet...Molly couldn't shake the feeling that her feelings were, in fact, very pertinent to the situation. She wouldn't find out why that was until later, however. 

***

At closing time, Molly checked that all of the ovens were turned off and her prep area was clean. Arthur was sweeping the bakery’s front when she told him that he could go home. 

"Thank you so much for all of your help today, Arthur. I can take it from here." As she reached for the broom, Molly accidentally made contact with Arthur's. The brief touch set her heart racing and her cheeks flaming. Looking at her friend, she could see that he too looked quite embarrassed. 

"Sorry," they both said at the same time. 

Molly giggled and set the broom aside for the moment. Though her brain was telling her to finish sweeping so that she could lock up and leave, she found herself lost in Arthur's brilliant blue eyes. They were the color of sapphires, and she supposed it was only because he wore glasses that she had never noticed their piercing beauty before. 

"Arthur," she said breathlessly, "I don't suppose you've got any plans for Valentine's Day?"

Arthur gave her a look that seemed both hopeful and scared. "No," he said. His voice was so quiet that Molly had to lean forward a little to hear him. 

"Would you want to—and only if you really  _ want _ to, mind you—go to dinner with me?" Molly asked. She held her breath as she waited for him to answer, hoping that her bold question wouldn't scare him away. 

She was finally beginning to see just how much he meant to her, and just how much she cared about him. He had been there for her through many difficult times, including the death of her brothers and even a heartbreak or two. Why she had never seen him in a romantic light before, she didn't really know, but she was undoubtedly seeing the error of her ways now. Arthur wasn't perfect, but he was sweet and patient and balanced her out nicely. 

Arthur's face broke into a smile, the biggest and brightest she had ever seen him wear. "I'd love that, Molly." 

"Great! It's a date, then," Molly beamed. 

Once they had ironed out the details—Arthur would pick Molly up from the bakery at 5 o'clock on Valentine's Day—Arthur left, and Molly was free to finish tidying up. Instead of doing that, however, she began to hum and dance around the counter. She couldn't wait for her big date. It was sure to be a night to remember. 


End file.
